Also agreed - that extra ~$100 buys you a lot of consistency and quality. It has to be said that the defects you do see on low-end guitars are increasingly cosm

Also agreed - that extra ~$100 buys you a lot of consistency and quality. It has to be said that the defects you do see on low-end guitars are increasingly cosmetic and superficial; I don't see very many warped necks these days, but I do see a lot of bad finishes and sharp fret ends. Some brands are far better than others in this respect - I've seen a fair number of unplayable Squiers and Epiphones, but I don't think I've ever seen a genuinely bad Yamaha Pacifica.